Moments
by Liari
Summary: Drabbles and scenes, mostly of Ami and Zoi, but there may be other couples thrown in every now and then. UsaMamo, MakoNeph, ReiJad, MinaKun
1. Come Back To Bed

_A/N- Ami and Zane in their apartment during a winter moment._

The world outside her frost-rimed window was a blanket of white, and she contemplated its beauty while she sipped at her tea, mug cradled close for warmth as she leaned back against the wall in her window seat. Peri purred from where she was curled on the other end of the seat, a gray fuzzball against the rich blue of the pillows. An early morning jogger passed underneath the window with her breath steaming, her yellow jacket bright against the snow.

_I love it when it's like this…as if the world were covered in diamond dust. _She sighed and tucked her feet up a little tighter underneath her, toes chilly. Her eyes wandered over to the bed, where the back of a tousled blond head was barely visible, covers up to his ears. A smile bloomed, quickly smothered by her mug. _He's so adorable when he nests._ Just as she thought that, he turned over, a muffled grumble accompanying the movement. She watched as an arm searched under the comforter for her, amused.

"Over here, love."

Sleepy green eyes peered at her across the folds of the dove-grey comforter as he registered where her voice was coming from. "Mmm? Why're you over there? Should be over here."

She stifled the impending chuckle with the last of her tea, blue eyes sparkling at him. When her tea was swallowed and the threat of giggles dissipated she answered him. "I woke up a while ago and saw that it snowed last night, so I made a cup of tea and sat down to enjoy the sight with Peri." She glanced over at where the kitten was still purring and dozing. "Though I'm not sure how much Peri's getting out of it."

"S'that's why it's so cold. Eh, you and getting up early. Never understood it." He grumped as he rose up on his elbows to see her better. The motion dislodged the comforter so that it slipped down his torso, baring a muscled chest dusted lightly with blond hair, his strawberry blond curls draped over his shoulder. He shivered slightly, skin goosebumping. "Brr. Come back to bed where it's warm and leave Peri to sleep; she's got the right idea."

She smiled at him cheekily and cuddled her robe up around her neck, the heavy white silk soft against her skin. "But I _am _warm," she chuckled at him and snuggled further into the pillows, "and Peri's not really sleeping, are you, baby?" Peridot cracked one eye open to gaze at Ami briefly before shutting it again and covering her nose with her tail. Ami laughed. "Okay, maybe she is."

He eyed her sardonically, one golden brow rising. "Now you're just being difficult."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she murmured sweetly as she blinked innocently at him. "My position here is very comfortable, and I was actually thinking about grabbing one of my books and having a read."

"Oh, now you've done it, sprite. I've gotta come get you and drag your perky ass back to bed, don't I?" He growled at her playfully, green eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Don't you dare!" she shot back tauntingly.

"Watch me!" He surged out of bed as she started to make a break for it, reached her in two long strides, snagged her around the waist from behind, and made her shriek with giggles and struggle ineffectually as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. He growled at her again, the noise a burring against her shoulder. "Ha, got you."

Her smile turned soft. "Yeah." She let her head fall back to rest on his shoulder and closed her eyes, her fingers entwined with his. "You've got me." His warmth seeped into her, her back firmly pressed against his chest.

She felt him gentle then, press sweet kisses to her shoulder, her neck. "Alright, love," he murmured, his voice tickling her, "let's get back to bed."

"Mm," she agreed, untangling their hands and turning in his arms. "You're going to get cold, otherwise." He gazed down at her, eyes darkening, making her stomach flip and fill with butterflies. _Will this feeling never end…?_

He captured her mouth with his own, an unspoken confirmation, and drew her towards the sanctity of their bed. Breathless, she followed, eyes locked with his as he pulled her with him down onto the bed. As their lips met again and he slipped a hand between silk and her shoulder she had just enough time to think, _God, I hope not…_ before thought was gone.


	2. Drawing Circles

_A/N- Some things are more romantic than hearts and flowers._

_Oh, and I still don't own any Sailor Moon characters or anything._

Ami suppressed a giggle as Zane's fingers traced yet another circle on her stomach as she lay on her back in bed. "What are you doing?"

He grinned at her lazily from where he stretched out beside her on one elbow, the covers all rumpled at their feet. "Drawing circles on your tummy." To illustrate his point he did another one around her navel.

A chuckle escaped her. "Yes, I can see that, but why?"

He leaned over her to press a kiss in the center of his most recent circle, lips dimpling the pale skin and making her shiver in delight. "I need a reason?" he queried, smiling up at her with that delicious smirk of his.

She smiled and tucked that one stubborn curl back behind his ear. "Not necessarily, but it would be nice to know. I like reason and logic, and things such as that, you know. Of course," she sighed, "most of the time you don't have reasons for what you do, so why should I expect this to be different?"

He laughed at her, infuriating man. "I always have reasons for what I do, they just don't always make sense to you, my oh so logical love." He grinned again and tickled the tip of her nose with the end of his ponytail.

She wrinkled her nose at him, nearly sneezing. "They would make sense if they were actually sensible. You're much more whimsical than sensible, though." Then, thoughtfully, "Though I suppose that _is_ one of the reasons I love you."

He looked at her indignantly, the curl springing free from behind his ear to fall across his eye. "I'm perfectly sensible. I love _you, _don't I? Isn't that sensible? I thought it eminently logical."

Now she laughed, calling an answering laugh from him. "This is silly, isn't it?"

He rolled onto his belly and scooted down to rest his chin on her stomach, green eyes shining up at her with an incredible amount of love. "Yes, it is."

"But," she said as she ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying the silky texture and getting her fingers caught on his hair-tie, "I still want to know why you were drawing circles on me."

His eyes changed, softened, and it startled her. Was there something so significant about drawing circles on her? He looked so serious…

"For the same reason I draw circles around your name when I doodle it, the same reason I trace circles on your picture: because someone once said 'Draw a circle around the one you love, because a heart can break but a circle goes on forever.' You are the one I love, forever. So, I draw circles to keep you close to me, and to remind me that eternity is one endless circle of being with you; no beginning, no end, simply the pure existence of being with you." His smile was warm and gentle, and so full of tenderness that she felt her heart cracking with the strength of it, filled to overflowing with all the emotions she held for him.

"Zane…" She could barely speak, throat closed on all the words she wanted to say.

He rose up and over her, braced on his forearms so that he could look into her eyes as if he was searching for something only she held. "Ami, love, you _are_my eternity. That's why I draw circles."

She reached up to hold him, her eyes desperately trying to convey everything she couldn't say. She buried her face in his neck as he gathered her to him and flipped over so that she rested on his chest, legs entwined. He kissed her soft cap of hair and cradled her.

She tried once more to find words, but failed. Instead, she looked up at him and drew a circle on his chest.


	3. I Almost Forgot

_A/N-Ever felt like you forgot something? Heehee... Also, if anyone has anything they'd like to see in here, just let me know, and I'll try to oblige._

"Baby, have you seen my briefcase!?"

"You left it on the coffee table."

"Thank you!"

Ami shook her head and smiled as Zane rushed past on his way to the coffee table. She took another sip of tea and nudged the file closer to the edge of the table, where hopefully it would be easier for him to see.

An indignant yell from the living room snapped her head around. _Oh dear…_

"Dammit, Peri! This is not the time for tag!"

She bit her lip to stop the smile, biting harder as Zane reappeared with a gray kitten attached to his ankle, nearly matching his gray slacks. "Ami! Get your cat off my leg!"

Ami crouched down and detached Peri, and then brushed off the few bits of fluff that had adhered to Zane's pants. She straightened with the cat held safe in her arms. "There we go." She nuzzled the plush ears, murmuring, "It's okay, sweetie, he's just cranky because his plane leaves in an hour and he's not out the door yet."

A green-eyed glare shot her way, but he was rather preoccupied with snagging the file on the table and stuffing it into his briefcase. "Thanks, love, for explaining my actions to the _cat._"

Ami just smiled serenely at him. His exasperated sigh was rewarded with a kiss on the nose. "Don't forget your backpack; it's next to your suitcase by the door. You're going to want it on the plane; it has all your books and everything."

He ran his free hand through his hair, mussing it. A distracted "thank you" tossed over his shoulder made her smile grow slightly. He slung the backpack over his shoulder and snagged the handle of his suitcase as he opened the door. "Okay, I'll only be gone for a couple of days, you can reach me on my cell if anything comes up, and I'll bring you something nice from Kyoto." He rummaged through his pockets for a moment, before looking up at her in frustration. "What did I do with my keys?"

"They're in your jacket pocket, love." She hugged Peri to her chest, already missing him.

"Ah, so they are." He turned to go, but abruptly dropped everything and strode up to Ami, to her surprise. "Almost forgot," he told her, before his mouth descended on hers in a devouring kiss.

"Meep!" Peri squirmed free, forgotten and squished in the moment of passion.

"Mm, okay, now I can go. Love you." He gave her a wicked grin and swept out the door.

"Love you, too," she murmured, hand against her lips as a small smile played over them.


	4. Singing In The Shower

_A/N- Sexy, steamy scene with our favorite firecracker and her blue-eyed menace! Please enjoy the spicy._

_And I **still** don't own any SM characters. Though the lyrics she's singing are mine, and from the song Heart Aflame, which yes, is the same one that brough them together!_

_000_

He heard her singing in the shower when he woke up, still a little muzzy. A wicked smile blossomed on his face when he realized where he was as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He inhaled deeply, the scent of her still in the air, violets and incense. A deep, lazy stretch, and then he got up and padded towards the bathroom and his songbird.

"You keep drivin' me outta my head, and I don't know my up from down, but if you keep doin' what you're doin' to me, maybe it just doesn't matter that I'm drown-ing, in the words you say, and the games you play, you keep drivin' me insane, but baby, you sure keep this heart aflame!" Her voice rang against the black and white tiles as he opened the door as quietly as he could and slipped into the steamy room. He grinned and gazed at her form behind the shower curtain, the opaque material barely fuzzing the details, and appreciated the lovely curves he'd explored last night.

It looked like she was lathering her hair, and his fingers itched to get deep into that mass of ebony silk. So motivated, he pulled the curtain back and hopped in, huge grin plastered over his face. The ensuing shriek of shock just made him laugh as she glared at him indignantly, the power of it slightly marred by the fact that she had a halo of bubbles.

"Jad! What the hell?!" Rei crossed her arms over her chest, obviously trying to at least moderately hide her bits and bobbles as the warm water kept falling behind her in a sheet. He took a moment to appreciate that she had a waterfall faucet before he smirked at her, simply pleased to be there, and moved closer, the smell of her shampoo a heady perfume.

"Mm, I heard you singing in here and thought I'd join you." He glanced down at her attempt to cover up and chuckled. "And baby, you don't really have to do that; I kinda saw everything last night." He smiled innocently at her deathglare and snaked an arm around her waist, the water and soap making her slippery and sleek. "I wanted a good morning kiss, and when I saw you were in the shower, I figured I'd help you out and scrub your back or something."

She snorted at that, but didn't protest as he stole a kiss and then turned her around so that he could properly get his hands into her hair and massage her scalp. As his clever fingers rubbed and lathered she melted under his ministrations and leaned back against him, getting his front wet and soapy. "Feels good," she murmured, eyes closed. He chuckled again and nudged her into the stream of water to rinse, edging in so that he got some, too.

Rei poured a handful of soap and began to wash him after she slicked the last of the shampoo from her hair, smoothing the soap over his skin. She smirked up at him as he wrapped his arms around her and tugged her closer, sharing the suds. His heart stuttered in his chest when she crooned at him, violet eyes full of wicked sparks. "I'll have to sing in the shower more."

He contemplated her, gazing down into those fiery eyes, and a slow, sexy smile crept onto his face. "Yep," he agreed, "In fact, maybe even every morning." Fully satisfied with his world, he leaned down and kissed the woman who set his heart aflame, and-wonder of wonders!-she kissed him back.


	5. The Difference Between

_A/N- A little more insight into our complex peacock._

The frosty violet-eyed glare she shot around the room kept the rabble away, but had no apparent effect on the strawberry blond trekking towards her table, even when it was firmly directed at him. He reached her and swung into the seat across from her, easy grin aimed at her with a casual disregard of her obvious displeasure. She scowled harder.

"Don't you ever get tired of being pissy, firecracker?" Laughing green eyes mocked her fondly.

"No," she retorted, stung. "Don't you ever get tired of being flaky, peacock?" She glanced at her watch pointedly. "I can't believe you're twenty minutes late meeting me for your own damn exhibit." A single ebony brow lifted in ironic dismay. "And here I am, all dressed up in a coffee shop waiting for your lazy ass when I could be anywhere else."

Zane ran a practiced eye over her, admiring her lithe form in the slinky crimson dress, the long skirt slit up to her thigh. The low neckline of the gown showed off her perfect skin and a single, blood-red ruby set in burnished gold. "But you look so fantastic! Every coffee shop should be so lucky. Plus, the actual exhibit doesn't start for another," he glanced at his own watch, "ten minutes." At her deepening frown he lifted his hands in supplication. "Okay, I'm sorry." He tossed her another grin, this one quirky and grateful. "But I do appreciate it, you know, Rei. Thanks for coming with me."

She softened. "Yeah, well, you're welcome. And you don't look too bad yourself, peacock, as corny as that sounds." He preened slightly, making her laugh. He knew he looked good; the tux set off his long legs and trim body, green vest emphasizing his eyes. _Hope we don't look like Christmas. _He took another look at her. …_Nevermind, I don't think anyone'll mistake her for a jolly ol' elf._

She gave him an odd look then, and he returned it, brow arched. "Yes?"

She hesitated, then asked, "Zane, you know I don't mind going, I mean, it sounds fun and all, but…I would've thought you'd have a date that wasn't your best friend's girlfriend. You almost always do, after all."

He paused, reluctant to answer. _But I don't want just a date to this…_ He slanted her a smile, slightly disturbed. "What? I can't enjoy your company on a big night like this one?" He grinned, trying to distract her with humor. "I would've asked Jad, but he doesn't look nearly as good in a dress."

Her sardonic look was scathing. "Oh, ha ha. Zane, c'mon, really."

He sighed. "This is a big night for me. If I land this account, I'm golden; I could even make partner. I've worked my ass off on this design, and I-well, I don't want to share it with just anyone, and you're…kinda the only person other than Jad I'd want to be there." He shifted uncomfortably. "I'd actually have invited him too, if he weren't gone for the week."

The sympathy in her eyes made him uneasy. "Look, it's not that bad. I just want to share it with friends, okay? Since you count in that category, I invited you." He looked at her darkly, and muttered, "Though now I'm kinda wondering why."

He wasn't surprised when she reached across and smacked him on the arm. "Zane…" The warning in her voice made him sigh again.

"Rei, please, we should go or we'll be late."

She gave him another inscrutable look, but took the hand he offered and rose gracefully. "Alright. But…" Her expression softened and she laid a gentle hand on his arm. "I worry about you, peacock." The caring caress of her voice drew his eyes down to hers, the amethyst depths dark and compassionate. "You just seem so lonely."

He scoffed, blustered, tried to ignore the pang of heart-rending knowledge that her assessment was far too accurate. "How can I be lonely when I've got a different girl every week, loads of parties to go to, and oodles of people desperate for my attentions?" He laughed with false heartiness and slung an arm around her shoulders. "I'm almost never alone, silly firecracker."

She wrapped her arm around his waist and hugged him slightly, her quiet answer an arrow to the heart. "You're almost always lonely, though. There's a difference between being lonely and being alone. You can be surrounded by a million people and still be lonely, just as you can be utterly alone but content. You don't care for any of those girls, those parties, those people, Zane, and both Jad and I know it. We see you, hun, apparently more than you see yourself." He swallowed hard, refused to look at her. "Come with us to the party for Usa next week. You know we've wanted you to meet the rest of the gang for the longest time, please, just come. I think you'll like our friends, and I think they could be your friends, too. Real friends, Zane, the kind that make a difference in your life, the kind that stands by you. Like us."

His arm around her shoulders tightened for a moment, and he nodded slowly, eyes still averted. "…I'll go. But we'd better get going now. Can't be late for my own damn exhibit, right?" A glance down at her revealed a smile, and it warmed him just a bit.

"It'd be your own fault, you know, but that's right. You have to make a good impression if you're going to make partner." The gentle teasing raised his spirits even more, and as they walked out the door he couldn't help but think that maybe expanding his horizons wouldn't be too bad. If nothing else, it would make Rei happy; she'd been harping on him to meet these people of hers for ages now. It couldn't hurt, right? At least, no more than she would hurt him if he reneged on it yet again. _And, _he thought wistfully, _it might be nice to learn the difference between having people I know and having friends. _

He braced his shoulders and decided to look forward to the party, and to the future. After all, who knew what might happen?


	6. Late Night Sunshine

_A/N-Our lovely sunshine and her stormcloud. This is a little longer than a moment, but I was too lazy to make another story, XD. Once again, anything you want to see in here, just let me know and I'll try to oblige._

A golden head was bent over a ridiculous amount of paperwork spread over the ash desk, the fall of silky hair doing nothing to hide the furrow of her brow as she scribbled away industriously. She was so caught up in the facts and figures in front of her that she didn't even notice when a tall figure entered quietly and closed the door behind him softly.

He stood there for a moment with his arms crossed, slightly amused that she never looked up. As he waited he glanced around the office, the space a definite reflection of the woman. Plain cream walls were covered in sketches and color tables, with the occasional cheery painting. Her filing cabinets were home to framed photos of family and friends, with many group pictures of the girls when they were younger. Two chairs other than her own were situated across from the desk, both comfortable looking with sunny yellow and orange cloth. Her one window had a sun catcher shaped like a sunflower that was currently only catching light from the street lamp outside. All in all, Mina had completely made the office Mamoru and he had given her into her own haven. _She's always so...bright. As if she's lit from within, like she creates her own sunshine..._

He smiled to himself, glad that she was comfortable enough to make it hers. When they'd first offered to rent her the office she'd been doubtful, asking if they were offering just because she was a friend or because they actually believed in her business plan. Since it had been a rather impressive business plan, and since Mamoru had been looking to expand the company into more than editing, they'd been able to honestly reply that it was because they wanted to be her backers. With the opening of her first show in five weeks everyone on staff scrambled for dear life as Mina became a hectic whirlwind of action, finalizing details and getting everything in production finished. He'd been rather awed, actually. Still, as busy as she was, the woman needed to eat and sleep, which he was starting to wonder if she realized. Finally he coughed politely, unwilling to wait any longer for acknowledgement. When she looked up, startled, he restrained a smile at the adorable bewilderment on her face.

Now that he had her attention… "Minako. It is now one in the morning," he stated. "If I may be so bold, what _are _you still doing here?"

Preoccupied sky blue eyes regarded him blankly. "What? Oh…" A sheepish little smile appeared as she glanced down at the paperwork that had eaten her desk. "I was going over some things, making sure that we'd be able to launch the show without a hitch next month-" She looked up sharply then as she realized that she wasn't the only one here, "and for that matter, what are _you _still doing here, Kenta?" Even as she said it she lost her focus on him and returned her eyes to the papers in front of her.

He firmed his mouth and tried not to look embarrassed and put out that she couldn't even concentrate on his presence for a moment. "I had some paperwork I needed to finish up for Mamoru; the meeting is tomorrow, and I only got the pertinent information this afternoon. However, this isn't something I do normally. You, on the other hand, have been staying at the office all hours ever since we announced your show." He gave her a quelling look as she opened her mouth to rebut. "I know this from dependable sources, so please do not even attempt to deny it." An accessing look had her blushing as his grey-green eyes swept over her. "Have you even eaten today? I'd bet not. You'll work yourself to death at this rate and be useless when it actually comes time for the show. You know, starving and depriving yourself of sleep will do nothing for your designs. I hope you aren't working on anything creative like this. I'd hate to see you fail because of it." Pleased with himself, he quirked a brow at her as she gaped at him.

"You arrogant son of a bitch!" she exploded at him, and he leaned back on his heels to enjoy the show as she burst out from behind her desk to stalk towards him, eyes blazing. _Sunshine squared...and pissed. Solar flare!_ He swiftly muzzled his thoughts as they threatened to reel off into the realm of the silly, and centered on the angry female in front of him. "This is my _life_, what I _love, _and I will _not _have you tell me that I'm going to be useless when my time _finally_ comes! _Yes, _I'm working my ass off, but it's because I want everything to be _perfect! How dare you!" _As she drew her hand back to slap him he caught it in his own and smiled calmly at her. Stupefied, she paused.

His smile deepened, and his eyes gentled. "And now that I have your undivided attention…" He dropped her arm and looked at her, concern creating a crease between his brows. "Mina, I'm worried. You don't look happy anymore, and you really are working yourself to death. Please, you must remember to take care of yourself." He trailed off, uncertain what else he could say without giving himself away.

She gazed up at him, blue eyes slightly puzzled. "I…well, I guess I did get caught up in it all, but why so worried, Kenta? I'll have the show out, and it'll be fantastic, I promise. I won't bomb, I swear."

He frowned and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I'm not worried about the show, Minako."

Comprehension dawned. "Oh…"

Kenta fought the urge to blush and cursed himself for a fool. _Now that she knows I'm not sure I can take the pity…_ He was berating himself silently and harshly when his thoughts were interrupted by a hand smacking down on his chest. He looked down, bemused, at Mina as she scowled at him. _I'm pretty sure that's not pity…but what on earth is the woman thinking now?_

"Kenta, you idiot, you _can _just come out and say you're worried about me; we're friends. We've known each other how long?" She waved a hand, exasperated. "Trust me, the girls smack me around when I forget to do things, so a little coming from you won't do any damage. Especially since it's for my own good."

Now even more bemused, Kenta just nodded. _She honestly has no idea… _"Ah, I see."

She beamed up at him. "Anyway, since you're here, why don't we go see if anything is still open? Now that you mention it, I _am _kinda hungry…" As she frowned down at her watch he took advantage of the unobserved moment to reassert his control over himself. "What day is it again?"

The only outward sign of his amusement at her question was a slight tick in one cheek as he repressed yet another smile. "Thursday, Mina." He paused. "Actually, it was Thursday. It's now Friday."

She laughed at him, impertinent thing. He allowed himself a slight smile. "Well, then I think Planet Third is still open over in the Tokyo Building Tokia. Of course, there's also a Seven Eleven over there…" She gave him a curious glance that he answered with a sour look.

"No, Mina, we are not going to the Seven Eleven."

She pouted playfully. "But we could pretend to be poor American students who just had a crab session and get all sorts of junk food that has no nutritional value at all!"

He snorted, a wry twist of his lips softening his appearance. "You mean cram, Mina. Planet Third will suffice; you need actual food." For a moment he looked uncertain. "It _does _have regular food, doesn't it?"

Mina waved a hand at him again, this time with a breezy laugh. "Of course it does, silly Kenta. It's this wonderful little café; the girls and I go there sometimes when we want something different. It's very chic." She grinned at him. "Think you can handle it?"

He merely raised a brow at her, eyes glinting at the challenge. "With ease. Now, shall we go?" He offered her his arm, unable to resist the gallantry. The warmth of her chuckle as she took it spread from the contact of her fingers throughout his entire body. His smile became more genuine, gentler. "Ah, Mina. What to do with you?"

She leaned against him and flashed him her own sweet smile. "Take care of me, of course!" Her laugh rang golden, and she disengaged from his arm to go through the door he opened for her, completely missing the expression on his face. He schooled his face back into its proper stoicism, shoving the infernal longings aside, back into their place in the back of his mind. But not before one thought escaped the chains of propriety and suppression as he followed her silently outside.

_Always, sunshine._


	7. Morning Rituals

_A/N-Okay, here's a little moment for you. Whipped up quickly as I move through this hectic thing we called life. Hope you enjoy it! Oh, and for an aside...Mina doesn't actually live there yet. This is just after a night spent over, not a regular thing...yet. (I meant Mina, not Kenta...they're in his apartment, not hers, duh, sorry, brain isn't completely functional lately unless it has to do with work...)_

Kenta enjoyed reading the paper in the morning while he drank his coffee; it was one of his morning rituals. He could catch up on the world while he sipped his dark brew and contemplated early dawn thoughts.

He was occupied thus on a lovely summer Sunday, seated at the table in his robe, the pale fabric light and airy. Comfortable and content, he was in the middle of another drink of coffee when slender hands slid over his shoulders and down his chest, parting the robe easily.

"Good morning, Kenta" she purred in his ear, "Don't you think it's a little early to be up?" She nipped at his earlobe playfully as her hands wandered over the bare skin of his chest, and he set his coffee down, and then folded the paper next to it. Her breath teased him as she lowered her mouth to his neck and nibbled delicately. He suppressed a groan when she moved around to his front to straddle him and he saw that she was wearing nothing more than one of his shirts. One of his shirts completely unbuttoned and showcasing all her curves.

His hands gripped her hips to keep her still for his own kiss, sipping at her lips teasingly. Bemused, he questioned her in between savoring her mouth. "And what _are_ you doing up this early anyway, minx? You normally don't roll out of bed until ten or later."

She pulled back slightly and pouted at him, lips red and full from his kisses. "I woke up and you weren't there. How can I sleep if you're not there?"

The chuckle welled up out of his chest in a rumble of pleased amusement before he could stop it. His mind flashed over what he'd had planned for the day and saw nothing that absolutely _needed_ to be done… "Well, since I have nothing better to do today…" Kenta scooped her up in his arms, her giggle coaxing a smile out of him. "and you've quite thoroughly interrupted my morning ritual…"

Her tenderness when she reached up to stroke his cheek surprised him; he looked down at her, struck by the expression she wore. Pure, beaming, shining love, burnished with a joy that he'd never thought he could call forth. "Well, then maybe we should start our own morning rituals…"

His smile tilted the corners of his mouth up and he let himself chuckle again. "Maybe we should…"


	8. Karaoke Night

_A/N- Well, first of all, this happens to have ALL of the couples. And second of all...okay, this is corny, sappy, and altogether just plain clichéd, BUT it popped into my head and wouldn't leeaaaaave. So, in a moment completely out of my head, here we have the boys (__**after**__ CtM, by the by, this is NOT the karaoke scene that will be coming up) singing karaoke. BOYBAND karaoke. …please don't hurt me.  
_

While the girls sat on their side of the booth and watched, the five men huddled together and spoke in hushed tones.

"What do you think they're doing?" whispered Usagi, blue eyes wide with curiosity. "They've been arguing about what song they're going to sing forever!"

Ami sighed and smiled. "It's only been a few minutes, Usa. They probably can't decide on who gets what parts."

A strawberry blond head popped up at that. "Untrue! We know exactly who's going to sing what, it's just convincing certain platinum-haired stoic types and curly-pated misfits that they're going to sing, too."

The indignant yelp that came from the "curly-pated" one was met with a smug smile from Zane, and a long-suffering look of understanding from the "platinum-haired stoic type." "Give up, Naoki. We're beat. Let's just sing."

"Yay!" Mina clapped. "Now hopefully they'll actually start the song before our time is up!" The rest of the girls laughed along with her as the guys glared.

"I'll have you know, Mina, that we've paid for the whole night, so we can take as long as we like," Jad drawled haughtily as he punched the numbers of the song into the machine, "and you women will probably be unable to sing after this anyway due to sheer shock and envy."

Rei snorted. "More likely due to shock and bleeding ears." She waved an airy hand at them, causing more chuckles from the female side of the table. "Might as well get it over with so we can be treated to decent music again."

The five men looked at each other and grinned.

"She asked for it."

"Yes she did. Remember, Jad, Naoki first."

"Do I really have to, Mamoru?"

"If I do, you do, stargazer."

"That doesn't seem fair, Kenta, you're the one who said we'd do it…"

"Oh, come on, guys, you know you're having fun!"

"Shut up, Zane, and press the button."

"...Okay."

The soft strains of the violins floated in the room as the men moved into their respective positions, each in front of the woman who held his heart.

Naoki looked down into lushly green eyes and smiled slightly. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He started to sing, his tenor a bit rough, but with a charm that was undeniable. "I like the feel of your name on my lips, and I like the sound of your sweet, gentle kiss; the way that your fingers run through my hair, and how your scent lingers even when you're not there…" Mako stared up at him wonderingly, and he blushed. When she reached up to him, however, he confidently twined his fingers with hers as his smile grew with the love he saw shining from those beautiful eyes.

Zane picked up the melody flawlessly, his tenor a polished silvery sound, smooth and purring as he stroked a finger down Ami's flushed cheek. "And I like the way your eyes dance when you laugh, and how you enjoy your two hour bath; and how you convinced me to dance in the rain with everyone watching like we were insane…" She colored even more at the laughter in his voice as he sang about dancing in the rain; she'd coaxed him into it many times, a simple pleasure of hers that always made his soul glow with warmth for this tiny woman who had chosen him of all people to dance with. Yes, he noticed, she blushed, but she also smiled, that sweet, slow smile that he loved so much, and placed her hand over his as he let it linger on her soft skin.

All of them came in, perfectly harmonized, for the chorus. Mako and Ami just gazed at their beloveds as the two stepped back to join the rest of the group, unable to repress gentle sighs even as the other three women waited breathlessly to see what their own loves would sing to them.

"But I love the way you love me

Oh, baby

Strong and wild

Slow and easy

Heart and soul

So completely

I love the way you love me…"

Jad smiled, a gentler smile than anyone would normally see from him as he knelt before Rei, taking one of her hands in his. "And I like the sound of old R&B, you roll your eyes when I'm slightly off key," He grinned as Rei _did _roll her eyes, but since the look she gave him after lit a fire in his heart, he decided not to mind.

Kenta simply stood before Mina, eyes meeting hers as his baritone softly swept over her with his own lines. "And I like the innocent way that you cry from sappy old movies you've seen thousands of times…" Since her eyes were tear-bright at the moment as well, he thought perhaps this had been a good idea after all. He smiled slightly, the barest upward tilt of the edge of his mouth, and moved back to join the others as they went into the chorus again.

"But I love the way you love me

Oh, baby

Strong and wild

Slow and easy

Heart and soul

So completely

I love the way you love me…"

The look on Mamoru's face as he drew Usagi up against him while he sang made her melt. His eyes, normally so intent and intense, radiated a loving worship of her that couldn't be expressed in words. His velvet voice poured over her in a caress so utterly tender, so incredibly warm, that it was all she could do to stay on her feet. "So listen to me… And I could list a million things I love to like about you; but they all come down to one reason, I could never live without you."

As if that was a cue, all the others brought their significant others to their feet and sang the last chorus directly into the eyes of the one they loved.

"But I love the way you love me

Oh, baby

Strong and wild

Slow and easy

Heart and soul

So completely

I love the way you love me…"

As the last strains fell away, the room was left in a perfect hush, the atmosphere one of serene happiness. Then, the moment was broken.

Usa's dreamy tone by itself wouldn't have crushed the mood, but her words…"So…that was pretty and all, but what exactly were the words you sang to me, Mamo-love?"

Everyone just stared at her for a moment as she blinked at them, puzzled. Simultaneously Ami sighed, Zane choked on a laugh, Jad stuffed a fist against his mouth, Rei twitched, Mina and Mako gaped, Kenta raised a brow, and Naoki let his head fall forward. Mamoru, on the other hand, merely smiled at her and kissed her nose. "I'll tell you later."

Usagi pouted, and glared at the obviously amused and exasperated friends around her. "What? You all know my English isn't that good! I only caught some of the words…" She trailed off, and looked at Ami pleadingly.

Ami sighed again, but fondly, and told her, "It's alright, Usa, like Mamoru said, he'll tell you later. It's our turn now, so why don't you pick out a song we can all sing back to them?"

The blonde brightened and grabbed the book left abandoned on the guys' bench. "Okay! I'll pick a good one, maybe something by Morning Musume… Oh! Ami, you like the song Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom, right? You used to sing that and lots of Chihiru Onitsuka, I remember!"

Ami blushed. "Um! I mean, I guess I did, before, when we were in high school…I still like Onitsuka, though…and sometimes Morning Musume…"

Zane grinned at her and tapped her nose, making her wrinkle it in that adorable way she had. "I never would've expected something like that from you!"

Ami blushed harder, and Mina came laughingly to her defense. Kind of. "Oh, leave her be! Let's just sing it for old time's sake. In memory of our youth!"

Makoto and Rei joined in, calling for the song as a nostalgic interlude, so Ami just sighed and gave in, her lips turning upwards as she took the mike offered to her by the now-bouncing Usagi. Karaoke nights were never boring, that was for sure…

_Ending A/N-Okay, and there it is! Phew. For the record, Boyzone and their song I Love the Way You Love Me are both very much not mine, just as the Sailor Moon characters are not mine. Hope you enjoyed it._

_Liari_

_PS- Jad and Zane are floating about my head at the moment as well, so you can expect a small bit with them shortly. _


	9. Hushaby Mountain

_A/N- A small moment from long ago._

_Disclaimer- I do not own Sailor Moon or the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang song Hushaby Mountain._

Shizuka relaxed with a medical journal in bed, glad to finally be at home after a sixteen hour shift and twenty four hours of being on-call. She hated to do these long days with a young daughter at home, but she couldn't see any way around it, and the director was getting tired of her arguments for an on-site daycare. A sigh escaped her as she glanced at the picture on her nightstand; a small girl beamed at her as she pulled out a tray of cookies. Shizuka smiled again as she looked on her daughter's happy face. _I wanted to go in and say goodnight, but she was sleeping so soundly…_

The door creaked slightly as it was pushed, a round little face appearing around it. Big blue eyes were shining with unshed tears, and Shizuka immediately rushed to Ami. "Darling, what's wrong? Are you all right? You haven't hurt yourself, have you?"

The child clambered into her arms before she answered, and clung to her mother. As soon as she was settled Ami sniffed and rubbed at her eyes briefly, shook her head. "No…" She looked up at Shizuka, her innocence a dart through the heart. "I had a nightmare."

Shizuka frowned slightly, and rose, headed over to the bed with her precious burden. "A nightmare?" It wasn't at all like Ami to come to her with bad dreams, especially not this shaken. For a five year old she was surprisingly collected. "What was it about, dearling?"

Ami shivered in the warmth of the arms around her, making her mother worry about possible sickness and fever. "The world was being consumed by darkness, and the only thing keeping it alive was me and a few others. There was a light, bright and shiny, but it was getting dimmer. I and the others had to make the light come back, but…but to make it come back I had to die… Not just once, but many times." The small girl buried her face against her mother, trembling, and her voice lowered to a whisper. "It was scary, and real, and I felt myself die over and over…"

Arms tightening around her baby, Shizuka stared down at the cap of dark locks. "Oh, sweetheart…" She kissed the softness of Ami's hair and cuddled her in bed. "It was just a dream, I'm here with you now." She pulled the covers up over them both, tucking Ami against her. "You'll sleep here with me, love."

When Ami merely snuggled into her, still trembling, Shizuka's heart wailed. Her daughter was terrified, and just being near her wasn't helping. She wracked her brain for what might calm and soothe enough that Ami could go back to sleep. A soft smile flitted across her lips as a snippet of the movie they'd just watched the other day came into her head. "Ami," she murmured, "would you like me to sing to you?"

Ami dropped her head back to look at the gently smiling face above her and nodded wordlessly. With that affirmation, Shizuka sang to her daughter, voice low and loving.

"_A gentle breeze_

_From Hushaby Mountain_

_Softly blows _

_O'er Lullaby Bay_

_It fills the sails_

_Of boats that are waiting_

_Waiting to sail your worries away…_

_It isn't far _

_To Hushaby Mountain_

_And your boat _

_Waits down by the key_

_The winds of night_

_So softly are sighing_

_Soon they fly your troubles to sea…_

_So, close your eyes_

_On Hushaby Mountain_

_Wave goodbye_

_To cares of the day_

_And watch your boat_

_From Hushaby Mountain_

_Sail far away from Lullaby Bay…"_

Shizuka held the last note, then let it throb away to nothing as the steady breath of her daughter let her know the child was finally asleep again. She kissed the top of Ami's head once more, and let herself drop into sleep, with one last thought of love for her only treasure.


	10. Movie Night

_A/N-It liiiives! Only not really. Still don't have much of an internet connection out here, but I'm working on it. Just settled into my new position, too, so things should start getting back on track, hopefully. The next chapter of CtM is actually being worked on (!), and there are several other little bits that I'll be finishing and putting up in Moments. And on that optimistic note, here's Movie Night!_

"Jackie Chan."

"Jet Li."

"Jackie Chan!"

"Jet Li!"

Jadrick smacked the coffee table beside his choice. "Dammit, Zane, I wanna watch Rumble in the Bronx!"

A green-eyed glower was aimed at him from the other side of the couch, and Zane pointed to the DVD beside the Jackie Chan movie. "I wanna watch Fearless!"

"Would you guys shut up? You're both overruled-we're watching Sahara now." Rei appeared from the kitchen with a huge bowl of fluffy goodness, the buttery scent infiltrating the room as she glided up to the couch and sat down next to Jad.

Zane snorted and grabbed a handful of popcorn. "Bullshit, you just wanna watch that because you think Matthew McConaghey is hot, and I thought you were going out tonight? Don't you have plans with your friends?"

Jad looked up at her as he crunched his own handful of popcorn. "Hey, that's right, weren't you going out with Usa and the gang?"

Rei glared at him until he swallowed and grinned at her, completely unabashed that he'd been talking with his mouth full. She sighed, giving up beating any manners into him as a lost cause. "I am, but not until later. Mina's going to pick me up in about an hour, though, so we need to get _something_ started. I don't care which you guys pick, but I want to at least see _some_ of the movie."

Zane and Jad both eyed the DVDs on the table, the woman sitting on the couch, then each other.

"Her choice?"

"S'a good action flick."

"Cruz's hot."

"You're a pig, Zane." Rei told him, disgusted.

Zane grinned at her wickedly. "And this surprises you?"

Jad laughed at him, blue eyes sparking with good humour. "Shouldn't by now, sweetheart. I've long since ceased to be amazed at his depravity."

Rei chuckled reluctantly, as Zane turned his grin lascivious and purred at her boyfriend. "You mean the depravity of us both? Shall I tell her about the time in Mi-"

"Zane! Shuttup!" Jad, now a brilliant scarlet to his ears, glared at his best friend. "Let's watch the movie, okay?"

Zane just smirked and nodded, rising from the couch to put in the DVD. "Movie it is."


	11. Leaving

_A/N- Another moment from the past. A bit more simplistic, but it's what appeared on the page. This is for those who know what it is to lose._

"You're really leaving?"

It was less than a whisper, almost inaudible, little more than a breath of pain deeper than bone, and she couldn't believe it had come from her lips.

He didn't even look at her, hand stilled on the door. "Yes."

She was a doctor; her hands were steady, strong. So why were they trembling?

"Are you coming back?"

Was that her voice? Why did it sound so tremulous?

His hand dropped off the door, adjusted the strap of his bag. She recognized his discomfort in the motion, his reluctance.

"No." The answer dragged out of him, slow and unwilling.

The one word didn't break her heart; it constricted it, wrapped it in bands of quiet, subtle agony.

"Why?"

He gripped the door again, knuckles paling under the force of his hold.



"Because I'm drowning here."

Was that supposed to make sense?

"In what?"

His free hand gestured vaguely.

"In this life, in the confines of this city, in the cement and crowds and cinders of humanity here."

That almost wrung a small, hurt laugh out of her. He'd always been poetic; that was one of the reasons she loved him. Had loved him. Did love him?

"But what about us?"

Ami. Her sleeping angel in the next room, the miraculous combination of his and her genetics. What would she tell their daughter?

His shoulders slumped, gentled.

"I love her, you know, I…I just can't stay. I'm sorry. I'll write."

He was out the door before she could say anything else, and she stood staring at the inoffensive wood. "But not to me," she whispered, the knowledge a terrible weight on her soul. It was all there it what he hadn't said. In that moment her world disintegrated and reformed, the center of it now the only part of him she still had.



So she turned from the end of one world and walked towards the beginning he'd left, sleeping in her cradle.


	12. Meanings

_A/N- Hey, everybody, here's a little bit of fluff with Mina and her Kunzie-poo. And since I'm the author I can say that without getting myself killed...or so I hope. Anyway, here's this for you, and I hope you enjoy it._

Kenta sighed. He'd been looking over this new contract for an hour now, and was only about halfway through. All the legalese appeared to be in order, and the terms were all the pre-approved agreements, but he wanted to look it over thoroughly at least once more before it went into Mamoru's hands for a signature, just to be sure. His brow pinched at the ping of his small headache as it threatened to become bigger, and he rubbed the heel of his hand against his temple briefly before returning his gaze to the papers spread across his desk.

And of course, exactly at that moment, someone knocked on his door. His lips twitched slightly at the impeccable timing of the interruption. Then he truly frowned as it occurred to him that someone was knocking at his door…and he wasn't expecting anyone. Add to that the fact that his building had a doorman who was supposed to ring his apartment when there was a visitor, and it became even more of a puzzle. He didn't really speak to any of his neighbors, after all, so why would they come to bother him? Still, it was only polite to go and see who was actually _at _the door…

As he opened the door, prepared to tell whoever was at it that he was busy and could they please come back later, he found a grinning Mina who promptly flung herself into his arms. A bit startled by this development he just managed to catch her and keep her from crashing to the floor, whereupon she wrapped her arms around his neck and reached up to kiss him. After they'd surfaced a breathless moment later, she smiled and chirped, "Hi!"

Bemused, Kenta looked down at her. Only Mina could show up unexpectedly right when he was in the middle of something important, rush into his arms as soon as he opened the door, kiss him senseless in the middle of the hall, and act like all of that was completely normal. "Hi."

Blue eyes sparkled up at him, bright with hope. "I was wondering if I could use your laptop? My internet's down, and I wanted to check my e-mail and then I thought of you, and that maybe if you weren't too busy you wouldn't mind my stopping by to check my e-mail. Do you? Mind, I mean."

He smiled slightly, and disengaged from her enough so that he could actually walk to bring her in to the apartment. She clung to his arm, pressed against his side, but the contact didn't bother him as it would had it been someone else. Plus, she smelled of some feminine perfume, something flowery and sweet, but not cloying or overpowering. He liked it. "I don't mind. However, I must warn you that I'm currently looking over some documents for Mamoru, so I won't be able to pay much attention to you."

She extracted a hand to wave it in airy dismissal, and laughed gaily. "That's okay! I'll keep myself amused, I'm sure."

He wasn't at all sure that she would, but accepted it nonetheless. "All right. My laptop's in the bedroom, on the desk. My computer chair is right there, so you don't need to get one from the kitchen."

She scoffed at that. "What point in a laptop if you go around using it on desks? You've got a plug-in by your couch, don't you? I'll just sit over there." She flounced off, presumably to acquire the laptop, and he just managed to curtail the smile trying to curve his mouth. Then he realized that he had no idea how she'd even gotten into his building.

His brow drew down as he thought of that. Not that he minded, but he liked to know exactly what went on when it came to his living space, and no one was supposed to be able to access him except with his prior knowledge and approval. Even Mamoru wasn't simply let in by the doorman…what was his name, anyway? Ah, that's right, Yamata. Ryo Yamata. "Mina?" he called.

"Yes?" She emerged from his bedroom with the laptop in her arms, trailed by the power cord like an odd tail. She skipped over to the couch, and after three minor heart attacks as he watched her, he thanked every god possible that she hadn't tripped over the straggling cord on her way to sit down.

He made his voice even, forcing the anxiety out of it as he asked her, "How did you get in my building? The doorman should have notified me that someone was here to visit."

She shrugged, a maneuver made interesting by the fact that she was half draped over the couch to plug in the laptop. "Ryo? Of course he let me in! I told him I wanted to surprise you, and that I needed a favor from you, so he just buzzed me in. You know he's getting married this autumn? He invited us, too! Such a nice man."

It took every muscle in his body turning to iron to suppress the urge to twitch. The woman was like a tornado, sweeping everyone in her path up into her friendly, breezy, sunny self until they didn't know which way was up. Even, apparently, his no-nonsense doorman, whom he had _not _known was getting married. "…Ah. I see. How nice." He dove for his papers before she tossed out any more factoids about his stolid doorman that he really didn't want to know. He and Yamata exchanged nods in greeting and in goodbye, and that was good enough for them both. The thought of the man wooing a woman…was rather unnerving. He didn't wish to think about it anymore.

Buried to the nose in the contract again he didn't notice Mina drape her legs over the arm of his tan suede couch, lying on the soft cushions with the laptop on her belly. Of course, it was probably for the better, since if he'd noticed he would most definitely be distracted. Whether by the alluring sight of her legs or the thought of his furniture acquiring footprints was debatable, however.

He was just muddling his way through a rather complicated bit of legalese when the giggles started coming from the couch. Of course. He couldn't help the grin that pulled at his mouth as he glanced over at her. The almost thought that surfaced when he saw her posture (she'd drive a deportment teacher to drink, honestly) was immediately snuffed by the sight of her eyes. They were softly shining with that inner glow she had when she was honestly touched by something. His breath snagged in his chest for a moment at the sheer beauty of her.

He must have made a small noise because she turned beaming to him. "Kenta! Usa sent me the sweetest e-mail ever! It's one of those forward things, and it's about kids telling what they think love means, and they're sweet and funny and silly, too. Like this one, where the girl thinks that love means that you flutter your eyes a lot and stars come out of you," she burbled gleefully, giggling. "Isn't that the cutest? She must be watching too much anime! Or this one, so sweet, where a little old man paints his wife's toenails because she can't anymore with her arthritis." She contemplated the screen for a moment, looking thoughtful. Then she turned back to look at him, her expression odd. "Kenta?"

"Mm?" He lifted one eyebrow. What was the woman thinking now?

She hesitated, then blurted out her question. "What does love mean to you?"

He looked at her, and she looked so fragile in that moment, as if she were waiting for him to break her, that his heart clenched. He sat silent as he thought, his emotions whipped into a maelstrom by those simple words. _What does love mean to me? How do I tell her that it's when I see her smile, her embrace, making her happy, that feeling that comes in those perfect moments when I wouldn't change anything. Too many reasons, too many words. Love is the touch of her hand, the silly sight of her singing and dancing in the kitchen while she makes a mess she claims is cooking. God, I sound like a bad poet. But how do I answer that? _

"Kenta?" Her voice, hesitant and soft and filled with worry broke him from his paralyzed state. In that moment he knew how to answer her.

He let a smile soften his expression as he stood up and walked over to her, dismissing the abandoned contract with a brief thought of finishing in the morning. Maybe. If she was gone by then. She gazed up at him with wide, uncertain eyes. He caressed her cheek, drew his hand down until it was under her chin so he could tilt her face to his. He leaned down, looked into those beautiful blue eyes, so unsure right now, and allowed his smile to widen and gentle into something unmistakable. He'd just have to get her her own key at this point; it could result in more surprise visits, but he didn't think he'd mind too much. The doubt was clearing from her expression as she took in his own, and the warmth in his grey gaze.

"You," he breathed softly before taking her lips with his in a sweet, slow kiss that told her everything she needed to know.


	13. Weakness

_A/N- Here's another moment with Rei and Jad; there are many ways to be strong._

He didn't know why he'd felt like coming to the temple today, other than that the desire to see her came over him too strongly to ignore. He walked up the steps slowly, the wind playing with his hair, and tucked his hands more firmly into his pockets to keep them warm. Blue eyes scanned for movement, a clue as to where she might be. He hoped she was here…and that she wouldn't mind him dropping by.

The soft sound caught his attention as he crossed the yard; a piano? He followed it, the music a drifting current woven through the air. It hadn't occurred to him, though it should have, that she'd have a piano. After all, she composed; that would be hard to do without one. Into the temple, over to a small room he'd never noticed off the side. Jad stood in the doorway, oddly hesitant to enter. Courage gathered, he slipped in quietly, and stopped short, breath caught in his throat.

Fragile light filled the room, framed the woman at the piano. The wind still howled outside, but softer, it seemed, as if to compliment rather than disrupt the music. It was a grand piano, the stain a dark cherry, and the woman sitting at it… Her dark hair was pulled back, but messily, strands left to fall across her cheeks. She was dressed casually, obviously not expecting anyone in her jeans and oversized grey sweatshirt. Violet eyes were shut, lashes dark against the paleness of her skin. Her expression, though, was what struck him dumb. A tranquil joy radiated from her, a peace that he'd never seen in her before. The curve of her smile was a gentle delight, and it wrapped his heart in bonds as soft as owl feathers. Her normal fire wasn't gone, it was just…banked. As if she was now coal to warm himself by, rather than the conflagration that usually scorched him. He walked towards her, entranced.

Seeing her like this, it made something well up inside him, something invitingly fierce and tender. He wondered briefly at the strangeness of it, at the strength of it, but couldn't stop his steady advance. She played on, oblivious to his presence as fingers danced across the keys to produce that delicate melody, the music a falling cascade of rain, a floating leaf, the epitome of autumn in some way he couldn't understand, but felt.

He stood behind her as she brought the song to a close, the last notes a contented sigh that faded serenely away. She heaved her own sigh, then, and stretched. He caught her hands in his as they reached towards him, a vague thought of kissing them surfacing. That thought was quickly discarded when she reacted…a bit badly.

In a snaking movement she twisted herself around on the piano bench and hooked his legs out from under him; he would've appreciated her self defense response if he hadn't been the target. As it was, he fell with a yelp, releasing her hands automatically so he didn't drag her down with him.

As soon as she just who it was she'd tumbled, she sprang to her feet and looked horrified for a moment. "Jad! I'm sorry, I-!" She had one hand reaching out to him before his presence really registered. _Then _she frowned down at him, and put her hands on her hips. "Wait a minute…what are you doing here? And why did you sneak up on me?"

He looked up at her blankly for a moment, then snorted. "I came to see you, though I'm wondering why now, and I didn't sneak up on you, I was listening to you play!"

"Well, you could've let me know you were here or something rather than just grabbing me!" she shot back at him.

Frustrated now, he lurched to his feet so that he could face her rather than having to peer upwards. "I didn't want to interrupt your music! And I didn't grab you!"

Her eyes snapped and smoldered at him. "Yes you did!"

He reacted to her before he could help himself. "Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

He growled at the inanity of the argument and abruptly turned his back on her, shoulders hunched. The stony silence at his back didn't bode well if he kept his own much longer, and he reluctantly grated out an apology. "I'm…sorry. I didn't mean to startle you; I was caught up in the music and wasn't thinking."

The dusky glare she shot at him held notes of question in it as well as irritation, and he scowled. "Jad, really, what are you doing here?"

He sighed and ran his hands through her hair in an attempt to distract her. It didn't work. He grimaced. "I…wanted to see you."

An elegant brow relayed her (im)patience as she waited for the rest of the explanation. He felt like growling again. "I just…kinda missed you, and wanted to see you. It wasn't really planned, more random."

That brought a look of surprise to her face. "You missed me? But we just saw each other the day before yesterday, at the studio session for the guys."

Another scowl settled onto his face before he could stop it. "A studio session doesn't count as seeing you; I haven't seen you since the week before last. Why didn't you return my calls?"

She looked slightly exasperated, and he supposed he couldn't blame her; he knew he was being obtuse and stubborn, but it couldn't be helped. Really.

"I'm sorry, I've been busy, and I didn't think it was too urgent," She gestured at the piano, and continued, "This has basically been my first free moments in, well…two weeks; I needed to relax a little."

The undertones of honest exhaustion caught his attention, and he looked at her more closely. She did look tired, he conceded, worried at the shadows under her eyes, several shades darker than her irises. "What's wrong?" He tried for gentle, he did, but it came out more as a sharp demand.

She slanted him an equally sharp glance, but the pique melted off her as she ran a hand over her face, which left her looking strained and strangely vulnerable. "Things have been harder here since…since Grandfather got sick." She shook her head at his involuntary twitch of concern, "No, he's still stable, but him being in the hospital wasn't something I ever planned for." The muted misery in her unfocused gaze was visible for a mere moment before she replaced it with a cool, collected expression he knew was a lie. "The shrine is as busy as ever; perhaps even more so with well-wishers sending up prayers for him." She shrugged, her veneer firmly back in place now, the shell of aloofness hurting him more than her throwing him. "I can manage; I'm just impatient for him to get back so he can take his share of the work again."

He stepped forward and drew her into an embrace before she could move away, and simply held her, wishing he knew what to say to make it better. "I'm not very good with words," he confessed as he pulled away enough to look down at her. Her disbelief was apparent, and wrung a wry grin from him. "At least, not when it really counts. The band, parties, the social set, those words come easy." Frustrated by the doubt in her eyes, he kept trying. "But these, the words to make this better for you, the ones that would help…I don't have those. I wish I did, but…I don't." He gently tugged her against his chest again, and buried his face in her hair. "I'm sorry."

He felt her tense, knew what the whispered words would be before they came. "I'm fine."

He held her closer, his chest tight. "No," he told her, "you're not."

"Yes," she asserted, and pulled away from him, "I am." The words had strength behind them, but it was a brittle strength. The cold steel she laid over herself was cracking, and they both knew it; but if it broke, neither of them was sure what would happen. She wavered towards him for a brief second, and he saw, he _knew _that if he said the words that were chasing themselves around his head she would let him brace her up, keep her from crumbling. He wanted to say them, _needed _to say them…and couldn't. The moment passed, and she turned away. Helplessly he reached out, only to drop his hand again.

"I'll be here. If you need me, I'll be here. I…that's all I can say." He looked at the stiff line of her back and tried to speak around the ball of knives that was suddenly in his throat. "Rei…" He was barely a breath away; close enough to kiss the back of her neck if he just leaned forward, just a little…but he didn't. Instead, he murmured, "You don't even have to ask. Just…call. Even if you can't say anything, just call, and I'll be here the moment your number shows up on my screen. Okay?"

He waited, horribly afraid that she would rant at him, or smack him, or, worst of all, not respond at all. It felt like a lifetime before her head dipped slightly in acknowledgment; it wasn't much, but it was enough to let him breath again. "Okay." He took a trembling step back. "Okay. You just…you just call. I'll be waiting."

Every step he took away from her burned. He wanted to whip around, run back to her, sweep her into his arms and wipe every bad thought she'd ever had away with every ounce of passion he had within him, wanted to scream and rave and gnash his teeth over this, but…but. If he did any of those things, she was lost to him. He didn't know how he knew, or why it was so, but he did, and it was.

If he let loose the rage and hurt and fire that was churning inside him right now she would meet it with her own, and while normally that would be a good thing, he had the feeling that this time it would be too much. He would lose her. He couldn't lose her. So he made the only decision he could possibly live with.

He walked away, and prayed that she would be strong enough to be weak.


	14. Regret

_For you, Grandfather. I will always remember you as you were, strong and proud. Thank you for your stories, and your memories. I will miss you, but I'll meet you by the roses someday. Oyasumi, _祖父. 蜜子.

_John Morozumi 1924-2009_

Cherry blossoms filled the air around the multitude of people, a pale smattering against the dark backdrop of the mourners. The small child that stood so stiffly at her father's side took no notice of the pretty petals as they fell around her; her gaze never wavered from the patch of ground newly turned. A pretty child; her hair black as oil, her eyes the colour of velvet twilight, she looked like a little porcelain statue beside the solemn grandeur of Sadao Hino.

When the last words resonated over the crowd, they began to disperse, and make their way to the shrine, where the food and drink awaited them. Sadao joined three other men, all dressed well in black business suits, and strode off with them, sparing not a glance backwards until one of them mentioned the little girl that still stood by her mother's grave. "Shouldn't you bring your daughter, Hino?" Takeo, one of his associates, looked over his shoulder at the motionless young girl, his head filled with doubt that it was proper to leave the girl there by herself.

Sadao didn't stop walking, but his mouth tightened. "She'll be fine. She'll come in when she's needed; right now I want to talk to Hiroma about the bill he's trying to pass." The decisive tone he took brooked no argument, and Takeo dropped the issue, though not without one more look back at the small, lonely figure, and the brief thought that if it had been his wife who had died, his daughter left grieving beside her grave, he would not be so brusque.

Rei stood silently, her face set in a calm mask of ivory cool. When hands came down gently on her shoulder it didn't surprise her, and she didn't move. The warmth of those hands, however, did something; without turning her gaze, she spoke softly. "Mama's gone." The blunt statement was delivered with a belying detachment that the owner of the hands saw right through.

"Yes," her grandfather told her simply. He looked down at the shining softness of her hair; she was shorter than him still, though he knew she would grow tall and beautiful. He flickered a look at Sadao as he entered the shrine, and frowned slightly.

"She's never coming back…?" The almost-question lilted in a way that brought his attention back to her, though she hadn't yet taken her eyes off where her mother's ashes were interred.

He stroked a hand down her hair, and gently turned her so that she faced him, though her eyes were still far away. He shook his head, his own dark eyes fixed on hers as he tried to make her _see _him. The moment she focused on him, however, he almost regretted it, for it seemed to make things more real for her. Violet eyes brightened with emotion, and she whispered, "I'm all alone."

His heart ached for his little granddaughter, this tiny girl already so wise and grown in ways she shouldn't have to be. "No," he said, voice hoarse with his own unshed tears for the daughter he'd loved. "You are never alone, Rei. I'm always here."

For a moment Nobuyuki thought she would simply stand there without acknowledging his words, and his heart not only ached, it broke for the control forced upon this child. Then, tears started to fall, and she slowly wound her arms around him tightly. He wrapped his own around her and let her cry, her tears falling silently. "I am always here for you, my heart. No matter what. Even when I drive you mad with my silliness, right?" He teased gently, knowing how his own levity often annoyed the somber girl, and wishing she'd let go enough to join him now and then; her mother had been the only one able to call her smile to the surface without fail. His joking brought forth a small smile from her, and he smiled at her in return. When she released him from her grip, reluctantly, so reluctantly, he took her hand and started to lead her towards the shrine.

"Grandpa," came the whisper, "I don't want to go back without her. Can I stay with you?"

His throat closed, but he managed to speak around it. For her. Of course for her. "Yes, Rei, for as long as you need to." They passed through the doors, and he saw Sadao speaking of business in a corner, and knew. As Rei walked across the room, accepting people's murmured condolences with cool poise, he felt a pang of regret. Regret that this little girl was so grown and composed at so young an age, regret that his daughter wouldn't be here to temper that poise with joy and lightness.

He would talk to her father later, he decided, and they could work out the details. Sadly, he was sure her father wouldn't object. And perhaps that was the biggest regret of all, that this man couldn't see the fiery heart of his daughter underneath the diamond shine of her imposed propriety. And from the way he was acting, he couldn't even claim grief over his wife as a distractant, unlike Nobuyuki Miyamoto, who grieved over Akane's death horribly. His only child gone; Rei was all he had left. And he, Nobuyuki vowed to himself, would never lose sight of that precious heart. He would cherish it, and feed it bits of laughter and nonsense until she was near to bursting with the joy of it if he could.

From across the room Rei looked back at her grandfather, and when he grinned and waved at her she rewarded him with a sweet smile, and for a moment, he saw his daughter, and he had no regrets.


	15. New Year and Old Friends

_A/N- Here's a tiny blurb for you guys of the girls before the guys! It's just a little glimpse, but I thought it was kinda fun. Anyway, here ya go, and I'll see you next update! Oh, also, I have a poll up on my bio if anyone would like to give me some feedback. Please read and review, and as always, enjoy!_

"Maaakooo-deeaar, while you're up, will you get me some more champagne?"

Makoto grinned at the ineffable blonde who giggled and held out her glass imploringly, and glanced at the raven-tressed woman beside her. "What about you, Rei, more bubbly?"

Rei lifted one elegant eyebrow and looked at the beaming Usagi. "I think I've got enough bubbly right here." She flashed a quicksilver smile then, and added, "But I wouldn't say no to another White Russian."

Mako nodded, then looked over at Ami on the settee, and Mina draped over the plush armchair. Mina piped up with, "I'd like another Sex on the Beach!" which sent Usagi into a giggle fit.

"Wouldn't that be a little sandy, Mina?" she asked mock-innocently.

Mina glared over at her friend, then smiled a dangerously sweet smile. "Oh? I wouldn't really know, but if you say so, I suppose I would have to take your word for it. Does Mamoru like it kinky like that, then?"

As Usagi turned an interesting shade of plum, Mina flounced off towards the kitchen. "You know, I think I'll help, Mako!" Ami raised her glass in a mute plea for more tea, and Mina nodded before disappearing through the door.

"That girl!" Usagi finally spluttered, and turned to Rei to commiserate until she saw how hard Rei was twitching with the effort not to laugh. Denied sympathy she threw herself backwards, arms crossed and face set in a furious expression. "She knows damn well how much I hate that guy! Ooo, just the thought of him makes me…makes me…so mad I don't even have words for it!"

"Not like _that's _hard…" Rei snickered.

An earsplitting wail was the only response to that, and Usagi flung herself at Ami on the settee. Ami desperately fought for balance as she caught the blonde just before she tumbled to the floor, breath driven out of her by the impact. "Aaaaamiiiiii, Rei's being so mean AGAIN! Did I even tell you what that horrible man DID the other day? I was looking at colleges at Crown, and he had the gall to tell me that of COURSE I would never get into any of them, so why was I even looking?! He's so cruel, and terrible, and has no redeeming qualities at ALL!"

Bemused, Ami simply patted Usagi on the back and made soothing sounds, and when her eyes met Rei's they shared a secret, exasperated smile. 'Think they'll ever admit to the attraction?" Rei mouthed at her.

Ami stifled the imminent giggle, and mouthed back "Sure, as soon as the world ends."

Just then Mako and Mina reappeared with everyone's drinks, and Usagi settled down with her champagne after a brief glare at the other blonde, who promptly raised her glass.

"I," Mina proclaimed loudly, "would like to propose a bread."

Ami winced and muttered "Toast, Mina," under her breath as Rei and Mako just sighed, used to it.

"To new years noodles, and friendships that last, and going to university, and getting boyfriends this year!"

The five girls all looked at each other and smiled; at the least, they knew this year, as all the others before, would be spent together.

"I'll drink to that!" Mako seconded, and they all raised their glasses to chime in the dawn.


	16. In the Family Way

_A/N- I always seem to be apologizing for my long absences...but I am sorry. Life has been interesting the past few years, but I will never give up on my writing here. So here's a bit for you, please enjoy. _

Blue eyes gazed dreamily out the window while her hand stroked the plane her stomach. She hummed tunelessly, so caught up in her own thoughts that she paid no mind to the time, and didn't hear the click of the turning lock.

"Usako?" her husband called as he walked through the door, "I'm home."

Startled, she spun around and raced for the entrance, silver-gold hair in streamers behind her. Mamoru straightened from taking off his shoes just in time to catch her as she flung herself at him, bubbling over with giggles. "Mamo-love! Welcome home, welcome home, welcome home!" she sang out as she cuddled against him, surrounded by his arms and love as his laugh rang with hers.

"What a greeting," he teased her, and she beamed up at him and threw her arms around his neck in order to better kiss the breath out of him.

When they finally broke apart, both a bit dazed, she grinned at him and announced, "That was a better one, though." She smiled and bounced as he chuckled at her. "Mamo-love, come into the living room, I want to tell you something."

He followed her, bemused by his tiny princess and her imperial manner. "As you wish, Your Highness." The sunshine in her face when she looked over her shoulder at him made his heart puddle in happiness. "I take it you're feeling better; did the doctor give you some pills?" She'd been nauseous and miserable for the past week, and he'd been so worried that he'd bullied her into making a doctor's appointment.

A smug but pained smile flitted over her lips, and she shook her head. "The doctor didn't give me pills, and no, I'm still feeling kinda icky, but he assured me that it won't last too much longer-I hope," she muttered, "and anyway, you have to go with me to my next appointment, okay?"

A pang of panic tore through his chest at her words. "What next appointment? Usa, what's wrong? How sick are you? Angel, what is going on?" In his terror he gripped her shoulders and stared into those sparkling blue eyes. As her expression sunk in, he raised a brow at her. "You're far too happy for this to be bad news…Usa?"

Her smile softened and she put a delicate hand against his cheek. "I'm sorry, Mamo, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm fine, I'm better than fine, I promise." She shone at him, so alight with joy that he couldn't be anything but relieved and happy. "It's just that I found out today that I'm pregnant!"

His mind stuttered for a moment before the idea penetrated his brain. "Usa!" he whooped, tossing her up in the air and catching her in a huge hug as she shrieked and giggled. He fell to his knees before her, and pressed his face against her belly. "A baby," he murmured, "we're having a baby." She quieted then, and threaded her fingers through his hair as he pushed up her shirt to stare at her still-mostly-flat stomach. Palm against the soft skin there, he marveled at the thought that there was another life within her, another heart beating underneath hers. He rocked forward and gently pressed his lips to her abdomen. His eyes closed as he drank in the reality of it. "I'm going to be a father…" Voice full of joy and fear and hope, he heard it tremble and could do nothing about it. Eyes opened and raised to look at his wife, his life, now the mother of his child.

Unending blue, shimmering with love and peace and something more…she was something more now. But she still understood him. "We're in this together, love. We're going to raise our baby with all the love we could ever give, and she'll always know how much she means to us. We're going to be a wonderful family." Her tender words shored up his heart against the thought that he would fail, that his past would shadow his future. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, his cheek against her tummy.

"I love you," he told them.

"We know," she answered.

She felt the smile against her skin and smiled in return. They were having a baby.


End file.
